Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Herb Journal: Cota (Navajo Tea, Indian Tea, Greenthread)
Cota: I almost want to issue a sincere apology to whoever thinks that cota is so great. I know that it is the tea of several native american tribes in the Southwest and people drink it like its water, or coffee, and they just love it so much. To that I have to say, I just dont get it. Not that it's terrible, it's not. but its definitely not my cup of tea. It just isn't all that. There are a lot of teas that I would rather drink on a daily basis than this one, that have a wonderful aroma, taste and sensuality. So, cota, the tea is orange. That in and of itself makes me laugh, don't ask me why. Out of all of the plants that we have seen, I just thought that cota was the weirdest looking one, and that is certainly not a bad thing in my book, but it stands out, these long long long stems, like giraffes, with a tiny head on top. How do they survive, these spaghetti like plants, they are so strange. But they do, and are the pleasure of the Hopi's, Navajo's and who knows however many other native tribes. I find it to be more or less devoid of flavor. Perhaps this is why I find it so bizarre. Before I discovered that the reason I never found myself interested in tea before was because it had never been made correctly, and as a result, I just found it something of a waste of time, in terms of taste.. it was just some hot water, with a tiny bit of almost imperceptible flavor, that i didn't even find so delicious in the slightest, and therefore, just a waste of my time. I might as well just drink hot water. And I dont like to do this, so I just stuck to things that brought me more pleasure, and that felt like I was accomplishing something reasonable by drinking it (if only sensory, but that is a big part of our pleasure in life). Cota in other terms, is very drying, that is the sensation that I have. If I need an antiviral, cancer preventive or bactericide, I think I will defer to lemon balm, red clover, and any number of antibacterial teas that i actually find some reward in imbibing. So, I tossed the rest of the cup, I have never been able to drink a full cup of this tea. But you are an interesting looking little plant, I have to say, Cota, like the little plant that could..
Herb Journal: Yerba Mansa
From the start, I always just found it strange the way the herb was spelled. I guess, knowing Spanish, it seemed strange, because, well, the word herb is hierba in Spanish, and so, what's with this yerba stuff? Are we that dumb that we can't even spell it right, we have to make it into whatever it sounds like to us? Rhetorical. Then someone informed me, and I'm still not entirely sure if this is true or not, that even in Latin America, these herbs are spelled Yerba, at times, well, such as Yerba Mate, so, well, okay then, but for some reason, it still makes me twitch. I have learned to love yerba mansa, not for its flavor.. noooooo, but because it seems to be the go to herb for things that have been pestering me the past few months. At first, I didn't want to listen, to be honest, because I just wasn't familiar with it, and as it is used quite often as a substitute for goldenseal, I didn't get it. I know that goldenseal and echinacea are the "immune boosting" herbs, but what did this have to do specifically with this irritation I was having in my uterus. Well, after using Tomas' tincture that he made specifically for my condition, which co-starred yerba mansa, and his advice as well to chug yerba mansa tea as often as I could, I started to see why. I was feeling better, and well, there's no better testimony than that. I started to just infuse the root in water and always keep a mason jar of it in the fridge, drinking it then filling it up again, it just became my drink, basically, along with ocotillo, osha root, chapparal, rosemary and pine tar infused water. I would just take turns, drinking a mason jar of each, and in the meantime let the others steep. These herbs are all antimicrobial, and at least I felt some relief after drinking all of those listed. They were altogether anti-inflammatory as well, but a few had some unwanted side effects. The pine tar water was making me spit up phlegm, and it became a nuisance. Well, of course, it's an expectorant. The chaparral was making me incredibly constipated. Well of course, its super drying and astringent. yerba mansa became my daily friend, and I have really come to appreciate it's immense power and beauty. If you leave it soaking in water for long enough, it tints the water red, and if you make a decoction, it becomes a dark red. The decoction is powerful, but as I felt that I just really needed to chug as much water as I could, not sip sort of distinctive and uncomfortable teas as much as I know I probably should have, I just infused everything in water, and it was more palatable to me. I still have yet to use yerba mansa for deuching, probably more than anything just because the situation has been so unpredictable, so many things that have brought me relief from infections, in particular, in the past, were just NOT WORKING in this situation, some actually making me feel worse, and the pain has been unbearable at times. The problem is, that once you put something in your vagina, well, you just really can't undo it. My acupuncturist gave me a deuche solution, something she has had for a while and used successfully. I tried that once, so I suppose I did deuche with yerba mansa, although it was a collection of herbs and a tincture as well, so its not so easy to discern. Especially because the alcohol itself, I don't know if that might inflame the tissue in their despite the helpfulness of the herbs. In the end, maybe yerba mansa is not the most pleasant tasting herb, I started out drinking the tea of the leaves, until Tomas corrected me and said that the root would be much more effective. The tea of the leaves I find nauseating. Again, I would drink anything though if I felt it helped whatever condition I was fighting, but I'm glad that we transferred over to the root. I seem to have more of an affinity to roots and bark in general. I do like teas of leaves and flowers, but roots, well, tend to balance my dosha I'm guessing. I'm a water sign, and so anything that is rooted in the earth is somethign that grounds me and is sort of what I need to keep myself in order. Not only that, but i see examples of this in my love life as well. Random, and straying a bit off the topic, but I find myself happiest with men who are earth signs, and I notice, very clearly that they tend to balance me out, ground me, as I can be like the sea, tumultuous and everchanging with my moods and emotions, and someone who is fastidious and consistent is the perfect person for me, to keep me rooted, as well, on the ground.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Elder Berry: The Tea For your Heart
Elderberry. My first sip was unimpressive. Only because I saw the deep burgundy color of the tea, and expected it to be very rich and flavorful, and.. well of course sweet, as it is a berry afterall. But, it wasn't very flavorful, not the way I had assumed it would be, but oh well, you can't have it all. I remember in class, munching on a few dry elderberries, and well, they weren't very sweet either. So, it is what it is, so they are not that sweet. It's okay, everything can't be what you want it to be, but it can still be something awesome. So here we go. I had a sip, it was bland and boring, but how do i feel. I feel a sudden sense of mental clarity, my nose is starting to run, meaning it loosened the hardened mucous in my nose that has been making a tremendous amount of snot that has been hardening along my nasal cavity for the past.. gosh, i dont know, ever since I've been here, but more often the past few weeks. I had to start putting oil in my nose every day just to try to keep it down, but this tea, is very clearly, loosening the mucous and making it run... not a bad thing, just need some kleenex and a place to spit out the mucous that is now coming up from my throat. Also, a good thing in my mind, as this climate is dry, and even your mucous dries up and sticks around (no pun intended). Loosening it up a bit and getting it out can be pesky and annoying, but we all know, expelling mucous from ones body, as annoying as it might be, is fundamentally a good thing, kind of like having a bowel movement. You are just getting the shit out of your body. So thanks, elderberry. You are a friend. Also, my stomach was feeling weak and agitated, definitely a result of a rocky relationship I had been having with a close friend, that was making me borderline crazy. My stomach was in knots and feeling just as jumpy and uncomfortable as my emotions and mind. I feel a strength settling in there, like a good book, that resolves your inner conflict, and makes it all make sense, or just takes the edge off, since certain things bring calm to your spirit, like a book that puts nice ideas into your head, or a movie that brings that happy feeling, and totally takes you away from whatever it was in your head, because it's always, and all, in our head... and brings you to a happy place. That happened to my stomach from elderberry. I feel anchored in my stomach. The butterflies are dispelled into the air to fight their own wretched battles, and my tummy is full with the sense that hey.. go fuck yourself fairy tale worries, this is all in your head.. and i'm gonna fuck you up. Elderberry gives you a certain confidence, that whatever it is that has been bothering you, it is nothing and you are bigger and stronger than that. I like this as a confidence tonic. It is strengthening, no question. I feel like a warrior. Not in a voilent way, like in a Pat Benetar "Shooting at the walls of heartache, bang bang, I am the warrior". That's a bit aggressive. Maybe more like "I am woman, hear me roar". Something more like that, although I like the strength that this gives in the face of something menacing and threatening. It's telling me, you don't need to fight. It's okay, your battle is imaginary. The threat is only a figment of your imagination, as it almost. always. is. Or rather, it's how you percieve it, or if you let it ... Well, I just wrote happy birthday my love, to my aunt.. so, there must be something incredibly healing (and heart-opening) to this tea, because although I am always kind, it's not something I would ordinarily say, and perhaps, it gives you courage when it comes to love, to just be as loving as you can, and not hold back. We all have it in us. Don't we? Although they say that Hawthorn is the heart tea, I believe I just stumbled upon one that is just as good. Elderberry, the tea for your heart :)
Monday, July 22, 2013
Thank you Mother Earth: Harvesting Red Clover and Arnica
I don't know why, but I have been somewhat obsessed with red clover lately. In fact, I've been meaning to do a FB entry on it for some time now, but I didn't feel that it was important enough. Now, I'm getting over that. I don't care about my audience as much as I did before, and I don't want to do the herbs that I think the "audience" would want to hear about. I want to do the herbs that I want to do and that's all that matters to me. I know that they would want to hear about lavender and st johns wort and arnica and kava kava, but I feel like writing about whatever I feel like writing about on any given day. Anyway, there are 365 days in a year, and I feel like at this point I can already take it halfway through with the herbs that I have in the house. Well, maybe not, but I do have so many and there are too many that I want to try and look into, more than one a day. It can be limiting actually. Maybe I should stop saying herb of the day, and just write about an herb when I feel like it, however many times a day I feel like it.
So why have I been so infatuated with red clover? Perhaps because it is just so amazing to look at. I'm not sure about the taste. its okay. its pretty good i guess. I have to look into what it does, and that might explain it better. maybe the fact that its one of the first that i learned to identify, and that mouna asked me to harvest. I had so much fun doing that. its a good association. if I could have just been asked to harvest one herb every day.. how much fun that would have been. I suppose I could always go back, but i would have to be much more focused on learning the herbs, and insisting that i do things a certain way, so that i learn what it is that i came to learn.. and also contribute enough to make it worth her while to take me in the way she was before.
So ... red clover, such pretty flowers, the heads of them such a pretty color pinkish red, and a big poofball, like the ones that used to be attached to certain socks as decoration. They are truly beautiful. and I noticed that i am drawn to red and yellow plants the most. Then again, perhaps because those are the most common. But I love rose and evening primrose, and calendula, and dandelion, and the reddish/purple ones like borage, which might just be the most awesome plant in terms of the design, color and texture of the flower. Wow, its enough to absolutely blow you away. And self-heal, which I just discovered in the wild on our camping trip in Colorado. Wow, a huge meadow full of self-heal. supposedly good for migraines if my memory serves me right, and they are drying right now on the table beside me as we speak. The saddest thing is drying the flowers, how they lose their life and love and vitality as they dry, and shrivel into a slight skeleton of what they once were, bright, vibrant, alive in the fields, they shrivel to nothingness, but nobody knows this but the gatherer, because when you turn it into medicine, the last thing on a patients mind would probably be.. what does this plant look like in the wild? Its almost bizarre, being able to see the plant both ways, as this beautiful, vibrant piece of nature, true beauty, like a painting that you are looking at in real life... and then the way that it is almost butchered... well its beauty, for the medicine. I understand now, those rituals, in a way, and how medicine people say please and thank you to the plants, we kill them... you know. I never thought of a plant this way, I never saw them as these amazing vibrant things that they are. They are alive. They are amazing. And then we cut them from their source of life, and we take them home and we dry them and they shrivel into these silhouettes of what they were even hours before. Nobody knows. Nobody cries for the plants that we took from natures cradle. Now I get it, mother nature. These plants belong to her. She nurtures them, feeds them, provides for them just like a parent, they only survive because of the things that nature does to make sure they live. The minerals in the soil, the insects and worms that feed on them and keep them alive, pollinate some of them, the water that rains from the sky to quench their thirst, to keep the soil alive and healthy, the sun that gives them the vitamins and the energy to grow up.. up to the sky towards the sun, the moon that lulls them to sleep, the streams that carry nutrients to the soil and water to the roots. Its incredible, this amazing ecosystem, that survives in spite of us. We are just visitors here, we don't get it, we just walk all over it, we don't understand that everything is alive, and we are just walking around on this earth, having nothing to do with all of these things that happen on their own, so we must try to see, see beyond ourselves, what the forest is doing when we are not looking. Everything happens without us. Bridges are not being build without us, but animals are still living their lives out in the woods, and they don't care what we do, we are just a part of this whole enormous life system. It is quite intimidating if you really understand. And it is quite fascinating. So that these plants die so that we can survive, so that we can heal ourselves, so that I can help you heal. Can my patients really understand? I doubt it. I don't mean to make them seem insensitive. You can't know things that you never saw, that nobody explained to you, or showed you. I never knew. Until I went into the woods with my friends and looked all over the place for small amounts of arnica, and my friend, who I am so impressed by, who is so good at identifying plants.. who could tell us.. "look there is some arnica" even while there were yellow flowers all over the place that looked quite similar, she could tell the difference, and there were quite few.
So the four of us scoured through the forest, and found these delicate, lonely little yellow flowers that were absolutely stunning, staring at us, giving the earth the gift of their existence. thank you arnica, for being this beautiful flower, that nobody knows about when they go to Whole Foods and buy their arnica rub to help heal their painful shoulder. That the source of this medicine, is a silly little yellow flower that hides in the forest, and we yank it from the earth, and we take it home, and dry it.. and it looks so different afterwards, just a shadow of what it looked like in the ground in that forest so full of life, it is this shrunken dried out broken version of itself.. the raw beauty gone, and now a puffy whisper of what it once was.. hard to grasp... cut the puffy dried heads from the stalk, and let them fall one by one into the olive oil... and there they will stay for a week or so, I will put them in the window or outside in the sun, so that their properties can soak into the oil, and give us their magical gift of healing.. their amazing medicinal qualities, they dance around in the oil, mimicking themselves and giving us this gift, this amazing gift of healing, nurturing and care. In the end, these plants sacrificed their lives for us, unwillingly.. yes, we must be grateful, as we should be to the cows who died so we can eat steak... and so on. Do we ever think of the sacrifice of life? Wow. It's enormous. I am so amazed. amazed. Overwhelmed, and grateful for these beautiful living organisms that live on the earth along with us, that we also call our home, it is also their home, and they give themselves to us, mother nature gives them to us, so that we can heal ourselves. Thank you arnica, looking at me now from your sad glass jar, melting away into the olive oil. I know that you will make us better. And I know that we must use you wisely. Because you are alive, you are amazing, you are intense, you are beautiful. God Bless You, and thank you plants, thank you flowers, thank you bees and worms and insects that keep our plants alive, and make sure that they are safe and sound, so that when we come to harvest them for our own use, they are healthy and well.
So why have I been so infatuated with red clover? Perhaps because it is just so amazing to look at. I'm not sure about the taste. its okay. its pretty good i guess. I have to look into what it does, and that might explain it better. maybe the fact that its one of the first that i learned to identify, and that mouna asked me to harvest. I had so much fun doing that. its a good association. if I could have just been asked to harvest one herb every day.. how much fun that would have been. I suppose I could always go back, but i would have to be much more focused on learning the herbs, and insisting that i do things a certain way, so that i learn what it is that i came to learn.. and also contribute enough to make it worth her while to take me in the way she was before.
So ... red clover, such pretty flowers, the heads of them such a pretty color pinkish red, and a big poofball, like the ones that used to be attached to certain socks as decoration. They are truly beautiful. and I noticed that i am drawn to red and yellow plants the most. Then again, perhaps because those are the most common. But I love rose and evening primrose, and calendula, and dandelion, and the reddish/purple ones like borage, which might just be the most awesome plant in terms of the design, color and texture of the flower. Wow, its enough to absolutely blow you away. And self-heal, which I just discovered in the wild on our camping trip in Colorado. Wow, a huge meadow full of self-heal. supposedly good for migraines if my memory serves me right, and they are drying right now on the table beside me as we speak. The saddest thing is drying the flowers, how they lose their life and love and vitality as they dry, and shrivel into a slight skeleton of what they once were, bright, vibrant, alive in the fields, they shrivel to nothingness, but nobody knows this but the gatherer, because when you turn it into medicine, the last thing on a patients mind would probably be.. what does this plant look like in the wild? Its almost bizarre, being able to see the plant both ways, as this beautiful, vibrant piece of nature, true beauty, like a painting that you are looking at in real life... and then the way that it is almost butchered... well its beauty, for the medicine. I understand now, those rituals, in a way, and how medicine people say please and thank you to the plants, we kill them... you know. I never thought of a plant this way, I never saw them as these amazing vibrant things that they are. They are alive. They are amazing. And then we cut them from their source of life, and we take them home and we dry them and they shrivel into these silhouettes of what they were even hours before. Nobody knows. Nobody cries for the plants that we took from natures cradle. Now I get it, mother nature. These plants belong to her. She nurtures them, feeds them, provides for them just like a parent, they only survive because of the things that nature does to make sure they live. The minerals in the soil, the insects and worms that feed on them and keep them alive, pollinate some of them, the water that rains from the sky to quench their thirst, to keep the soil alive and healthy, the sun that gives them the vitamins and the energy to grow up.. up to the sky towards the sun, the moon that lulls them to sleep, the streams that carry nutrients to the soil and water to the roots. Its incredible, this amazing ecosystem, that survives in spite of us. We are just visitors here, we don't get it, we just walk all over it, we don't understand that everything is alive, and we are just walking around on this earth, having nothing to do with all of these things that happen on their own, so we must try to see, see beyond ourselves, what the forest is doing when we are not looking. Everything happens without us. Bridges are not being build without us, but animals are still living their lives out in the woods, and they don't care what we do, we are just a part of this whole enormous life system. It is quite intimidating if you really understand. And it is quite fascinating. So that these plants die so that we can survive, so that we can heal ourselves, so that I can help you heal. Can my patients really understand? I doubt it. I don't mean to make them seem insensitive. You can't know things that you never saw, that nobody explained to you, or showed you. I never knew. Until I went into the woods with my friends and looked all over the place for small amounts of arnica, and my friend, who I am so impressed by, who is so good at identifying plants.. who could tell us.. "look there is some arnica" even while there were yellow flowers all over the place that looked quite similar, she could tell the difference, and there were quite few.
So the four of us scoured through the forest, and found these delicate, lonely little yellow flowers that were absolutely stunning, staring at us, giving the earth the gift of their existence. thank you arnica, for being this beautiful flower, that nobody knows about when they go to Whole Foods and buy their arnica rub to help heal their painful shoulder. That the source of this medicine, is a silly little yellow flower that hides in the forest, and we yank it from the earth, and we take it home, and dry it.. and it looks so different afterwards, just a shadow of what it looked like in the ground in that forest so full of life, it is this shrunken dried out broken version of itself.. the raw beauty gone, and now a puffy whisper of what it once was.. hard to grasp... cut the puffy dried heads from the stalk, and let them fall one by one into the olive oil... and there they will stay for a week or so, I will put them in the window or outside in the sun, so that their properties can soak into the oil, and give us their magical gift of healing.. their amazing medicinal qualities, they dance around in the oil, mimicking themselves and giving us this gift, this amazing gift of healing, nurturing and care. In the end, these plants sacrificed their lives for us, unwillingly.. yes, we must be grateful, as we should be to the cows who died so we can eat steak... and so on. Do we ever think of the sacrifice of life? Wow. It's enormous. I am so amazed. amazed. Overwhelmed, and grateful for these beautiful living organisms that live on the earth along with us, that we also call our home, it is also their home, and they give themselves to us, mother nature gives them to us, so that we can heal ourselves. Thank you arnica, looking at me now from your sad glass jar, melting away into the olive oil. I know that you will make us better. And I know that we must use you wisely. Because you are alive, you are amazing, you are intense, you are beautiful. God Bless You, and thank you plants, thank you flowers, thank you bees and worms and insects that keep our plants alive, and make sure that they are safe and sound, so that when we come to harvest them for our own use, they are healthy and well.
Friday, June 21, 2013
Herb Journal: Hawthorn
6/21/13
Hawthorne Berries, Leaves & Stems, that's what I just made a decoction of, and it's an interesting mish mosh of flavors & characteristics. That's why I would recommend, to ANYONE that they decide what they want a tea of before proceeding with the hawthorn plant tea. The initial taste is quite astringent, so much so, that it makes you cringe. But the aftertaste makes you want more. Its one of those strange things... but its not that strange. The astringent aspect comes from the leaves, but the red berries are quite sweet, so its that that leaves the aftertaste, you have this aftertaste of tart, sweet berries. Hmmm.
So hawthorn leaves, not surprisingly, are known for their astringent properties. But it appears that the berry is most often used as a heart tonic. This herb is known as the best one for heart maladies across the board. From rapid heartbeat, to a weak heartbeat... any abnormal heart action can be regulated with regular consumption of the tea of this plant, which is known as a general "heart strengthener". It also aids in several issues one may have as a result of poor circulation, from cerebral circulatory disturbances to hemhorroids. This is the herb recommended most for high blood pressure. If you are just drinking a tea of the berries, I wouldn't complain. Only a few minutes after my last sip, I'm thinking its kind of sugary tasting even.
This herbs lifts burdens off the heart as well, and acts on the heart on an emotional/spiritual/phsychological level. It eases emotional/spiritual heartache, and related irritable and nervous conditions and stomach complaints. It opens the heart to forgiveness of others or of life events that may be preventing a persons healing process. Pretty cool. I can definitely see it. My hemhorroids are shrinking, and I'm starting to forgive my ex boyfriend for being such a deuchebag. Hmmm. Just kidding.
But I like the flavor and would definitely give it a chance. Since it is a tonic, it can't hurt to drink it on a regular basis.
It's constituents are:
Saponins
Glycosides
Flavanoids
Ascorbic Acid (and other acids)
Tannins
Because it stimulates blood circulation in general, and part of this is to the brain (as you age, the bloodflow to the brain decreases, which is what causes memory problems that are common as people age). For the increase of blood to the brain, and the task of improving memory function, hawthorn is best combined with Ginko Biloba.
In certain traditions Hawthorne was used to increase fertility. I will have to research that further to see if scientific studies have been done to verify this.
Hawthorne Berries, Leaves & Stems, that's what I just made a decoction of, and it's an interesting mish mosh of flavors & characteristics. That's why I would recommend, to ANYONE that they decide what they want a tea of before proceeding with the hawthorn plant tea. The initial taste is quite astringent, so much so, that it makes you cringe. But the aftertaste makes you want more. Its one of those strange things... but its not that strange. The astringent aspect comes from the leaves, but the red berries are quite sweet, so its that that leaves the aftertaste, you have this aftertaste of tart, sweet berries. Hmmm.
So hawthorn leaves, not surprisingly, are known for their astringent properties. But it appears that the berry is most often used as a heart tonic. This herb is known as the best one for heart maladies across the board. From rapid heartbeat, to a weak heartbeat... any abnormal heart action can be regulated with regular consumption of the tea of this plant, which is known as a general "heart strengthener". It also aids in several issues one may have as a result of poor circulation, from cerebral circulatory disturbances to hemhorroids. This is the herb recommended most for high blood pressure. If you are just drinking a tea of the berries, I wouldn't complain. Only a few minutes after my last sip, I'm thinking its kind of sugary tasting even.
This herbs lifts burdens off the heart as well, and acts on the heart on an emotional/spiritual/phsychological level. It eases emotional/spiritual heartache, and related irritable and nervous conditions and stomach complaints. It opens the heart to forgiveness of others or of life events that may be preventing a persons healing process. Pretty cool. I can definitely see it. My hemhorroids are shrinking, and I'm starting to forgive my ex boyfriend for being such a deuchebag. Hmmm. Just kidding.
But I like the flavor and would definitely give it a chance. Since it is a tonic, it can't hurt to drink it on a regular basis.
It's constituents are:
Saponins
Glycosides
Flavanoids
Ascorbic Acid (and other acids)
Tannins
Because it stimulates blood circulation in general, and part of this is to the brain (as you age, the bloodflow to the brain decreases, which is what causes memory problems that are common as people age). For the increase of blood to the brain, and the task of improving memory function, hawthorn is best combined with Ginko Biloba.
In certain traditions Hawthorne was used to increase fertility. I will have to research that further to see if scientific studies have been done to verify this.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Hibiscus, Pink Rosebud, Lemongrass & Orange Peel Tea. Vitamin C tranquilizer.
6/19/13
I have to just say, THIS IS MY FAVORITE TEA EVER (for now.. I'm just starting my foray into tea-land). I have always loved hibiscus, ever since I discovered the Mexican drink they call Jamaica, which is basically just hibiscus flower tea served cold & sweetened wtih sugar. I don't recommend the sugar, but the flavor was unforgettable. It's not something that everyone loves off the bat.. or ever, but for me.. it was love at first sip. I had to find the source of the Jamaica.. and it led me to the hibiscus flower. I hunted it down at the local health food store.. this was years ago.. and made my first hibiscus tea. I've been hooked ever since.
Hibiscus is insanely high in vitamin C. It's a GREAT source. If you are feeling sick or like your immune system needs some help, go get some hibiscus tea. You can eat and drink your vitamins. It's easy and more pleasant, and drinking hibiscus tea is one great example.
Plus, its red. Which, is pretty cool. Who doesn't like a red drink? It's just exotic. It really is a beautiful color, but that's just part of the fun. Red teas have been making somewhat of a statement lately.. becoming more well known among the tea drinking populace. Roobois is another good example. You see that almost everywhere.
Today my body just wanted some hibiscus. It's insanely hot here (in New Mexico) at this time of year, and my body needed something insanely refreshing. I have been drinking more medicinal teas, since I've been also experimenting on formulas for my roommates cough, and then drinking the miracle teas myself as a result.. but today was the day for Hibiscus, and just vitamin C in general. Plus, the past few days, I have found myself adding herbs in the rose family to my teas. Yesterday was Rose Hips, Rose Buds, Rosemary and Echinacea.
Today the Hibiscus took the place of rose hips (both super high in Vitamin C), added orange peel, lemongrass and Pink Rose Buds. This was not only an absolutely beautiful tea to watch floating around in the pot, but one of the most amazing mixtures of flavors and health benefitting qualities I have impulsively put together on a whim. A instinctive whim, though.
The rose buds are sooooo relaxing. The smell is incomparable. There is no aroma like that of rose. A lof of people don't think you can drink rose petals. WELL YOU CAN. When we went on our plant walks at Truth or Consequences, NM.. it was UNBELIEVABLE the amount of leaves, flowers, bark & fruits you find in the wilderness, or even growing in your backyard, that you would NEVER think to eat or make into a tea. We are so incredibly detached from nature, we have no clue. It's not just for people who are lost in the wilderness... we are actually MISSING OUT by not knowing about these things we can eat. Instead we just drive through the Mc Donald's drive through. As if that's more convenient. More convenient than eating plants that grow in our backyard. Yup.
Pink rose bud tea is AMAZING. It is soothing and relaxing and healing and just picks up your mood immeasurably. You throw the whole buds in there, the petals, the tiny leaves that protect them and a tiny bit of stem ... and its a beautiful thing. If you think that giving or receiving roses is romantic, try drinking them. You will be happily surprised.
I have to just say, THIS IS MY FAVORITE TEA EVER (for now.. I'm just starting my foray into tea-land). I have always loved hibiscus, ever since I discovered the Mexican drink they call Jamaica, which is basically just hibiscus flower tea served cold & sweetened wtih sugar. I don't recommend the sugar, but the flavor was unforgettable. It's not something that everyone loves off the bat.. or ever, but for me.. it was love at first sip. I had to find the source of the Jamaica.. and it led me to the hibiscus flower. I hunted it down at the local health food store.. this was years ago.. and made my first hibiscus tea. I've been hooked ever since.
Hibiscus is insanely high in vitamin C. It's a GREAT source. If you are feeling sick or like your immune system needs some help, go get some hibiscus tea. You can eat and drink your vitamins. It's easy and more pleasant, and drinking hibiscus tea is one great example.
Plus, its red. Which, is pretty cool. Who doesn't like a red drink? It's just exotic. It really is a beautiful color, but that's just part of the fun. Red teas have been making somewhat of a statement lately.. becoming more well known among the tea drinking populace. Roobois is another good example. You see that almost everywhere.
Today my body just wanted some hibiscus. It's insanely hot here (in New Mexico) at this time of year, and my body needed something insanely refreshing. I have been drinking more medicinal teas, since I've been also experimenting on formulas for my roommates cough, and then drinking the miracle teas myself as a result.. but today was the day for Hibiscus, and just vitamin C in general. Plus, the past few days, I have found myself adding herbs in the rose family to my teas. Yesterday was Rose Hips, Rose Buds, Rosemary and Echinacea.
Today the Hibiscus took the place of rose hips (both super high in Vitamin C), added orange peel, lemongrass and Pink Rose Buds. This was not only an absolutely beautiful tea to watch floating around in the pot, but one of the most amazing mixtures of flavors and health benefitting qualities I have impulsively put together on a whim. A instinctive whim, though.
The rose buds are sooooo relaxing. The smell is incomparable. There is no aroma like that of rose. A lof of people don't think you can drink rose petals. WELL YOU CAN. When we went on our plant walks at Truth or Consequences, NM.. it was UNBELIEVABLE the amount of leaves, flowers, bark & fruits you find in the wilderness, or even growing in your backyard, that you would NEVER think to eat or make into a tea. We are so incredibly detached from nature, we have no clue. It's not just for people who are lost in the wilderness... we are actually MISSING OUT by not knowing about these things we can eat. Instead we just drive through the Mc Donald's drive through. As if that's more convenient. More convenient than eating plants that grow in our backyard. Yup.
Pink rose bud tea is AMAZING. It is soothing and relaxing and healing and just picks up your mood immeasurably. You throw the whole buds in there, the petals, the tiny leaves that protect them and a tiny bit of stem ... and its a beautiful thing. If you think that giving or receiving roses is romantic, try drinking them. You will be happily surprised.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Muscle Salve: Less is More
6/17/13
I'm starting to realize (although I think I had mentioned it in a previous post) that I don't HAVE to put every herb a la, "the kitchen sink" into all of my recipes. Simply put, sometimes less is more. Or more is just excess... It's not necessary. I made this awesome muscle salve, but had the lack of foresight to put way too much camphor essential oil into it. I just didn't realize what a little drop of that powerful stuff can do in a small jar of salve. So.. I put it on... I won't give anything to anyone without trying it out on myself first.. and well, it was kind of intense, itchy, burny... and so.. back to the drawing board. I decided to scoop them out of the small jars, put them back into a mason jar, and place it with an open lid, into extremely hot water, hoping to evaporate the camphor out of the oil... it helped a bit, but not enough, so I added some more oil that I had already made of arnica, rose hip, lavender, chamomile & calendula. Still... too strong. Idea #2. Add copious amounts of rice bran oil and avocado oil, just to dilute it more. I was thinking it would be okay but I poured it into JUST ONE salve container (because at this point, I know better... there are only so many times you can scoop salve out of small bottles, and clean them out, only to start over), tried it last night and today, and I have to say.. its still pretty menthol-y. Now, some people might like it strong.. but the person I was making it for originally... it's hard to say how I know this, but its something that we learn to tap into as holistic practicioners.. its evaluating a patient's constitution. There is an ayurvedic way to diagnose personality traits and match them with "medications" that will be pleasing and in accordance with their .. what is called ones dosha in Ayurvedic Medicine. Your dosha is your make-up, constitution, body type, personality type.. all of these things combined, you can sort of tell what will bother and what will be pleasing to a certain person without even having to talk to them much at all. It's a method of evaluation, and once you understand it, it makes PERFECT SENSE. So, based on this woman's dosha, and I can tell you this intuitively, she would get a rash from too much camphor. It would irritate her skin, and she would most likely come back to the doctor and say it's too strong. I can just tell. So... I'm going back to another method. I'm infusing calendula, lavender, lemon balm and chamomile in almond oil. These, even on their own, will have a calming effect on the muscle tissue. Almond oil is very mild and is nourishing and calming for the skin. These four herbs alone would relax the body (and mind) effectively, and these are all herbs that are very gentle & mild on the skin. I will probably add a bit of wild lettuce (an intense muscle relaxer.. known as the herbal opiate), and possibly some wild willow bark (known as the herbal "aspirin"), neither of which has properties that can or would irritate the skin. Despite the fact that the "mints": peppermint, spearmint, plus eucalyptus and camphor are widely used to relax muscles, I have to be careful with these... use them sparingly, or as herbs, and be really really careful about the super potent essential oils that I might add to any salve. This is my lesson for the day. I look forward for helping my patient Mercedes get out of pain soon, so that she can stand on her feet for hours at work and not suffer from the nuisance of chronic muscle pain.
I'm starting to realize (although I think I had mentioned it in a previous post) that I don't HAVE to put every herb a la, "the kitchen sink" into all of my recipes. Simply put, sometimes less is more. Or more is just excess... It's not necessary. I made this awesome muscle salve, but had the lack of foresight to put way too much camphor essential oil into it. I just didn't realize what a little drop of that powerful stuff can do in a small jar of salve. So.. I put it on... I won't give anything to anyone without trying it out on myself first.. and well, it was kind of intense, itchy, burny... and so.. back to the drawing board. I decided to scoop them out of the small jars, put them back into a mason jar, and place it with an open lid, into extremely hot water, hoping to evaporate the camphor out of the oil... it helped a bit, but not enough, so I added some more oil that I had already made of arnica, rose hip, lavender, chamomile & calendula. Still... too strong. Idea #2. Add copious amounts of rice bran oil and avocado oil, just to dilute it more. I was thinking it would be okay but I poured it into JUST ONE salve container (because at this point, I know better... there are only so many times you can scoop salve out of small bottles, and clean them out, only to start over), tried it last night and today, and I have to say.. its still pretty menthol-y. Now, some people might like it strong.. but the person I was making it for originally... it's hard to say how I know this, but its something that we learn to tap into as holistic practicioners.. its evaluating a patient's constitution. There is an ayurvedic way to diagnose personality traits and match them with "medications" that will be pleasing and in accordance with their .. what is called ones dosha in Ayurvedic Medicine. Your dosha is your make-up, constitution, body type, personality type.. all of these things combined, you can sort of tell what will bother and what will be pleasing to a certain person without even having to talk to them much at all. It's a method of evaluation, and once you understand it, it makes PERFECT SENSE. So, based on this woman's dosha, and I can tell you this intuitively, she would get a rash from too much camphor. It would irritate her skin, and she would most likely come back to the doctor and say it's too strong. I can just tell. So... I'm going back to another method. I'm infusing calendula, lavender, lemon balm and chamomile in almond oil. These, even on their own, will have a calming effect on the muscle tissue. Almond oil is very mild and is nourishing and calming for the skin. These four herbs alone would relax the body (and mind) effectively, and these are all herbs that are very gentle & mild on the skin. I will probably add a bit of wild lettuce (an intense muscle relaxer.. known as the herbal opiate), and possibly some wild willow bark (known as the herbal "aspirin"), neither of which has properties that can or would irritate the skin. Despite the fact that the "mints": peppermint, spearmint, plus eucalyptus and camphor are widely used to relax muscles, I have to be careful with these... use them sparingly, or as herbs, and be really really careful about the super potent essential oils that I might add to any salve. This is my lesson for the day. I look forward for helping my patient Mercedes get out of pain soon, so that she can stand on her feet for hours at work and not suffer from the nuisance of chronic muscle pain.
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